"Yes, that must be the Divine King Fruit tree."
Cui Hong nodded.
At this moment, the area around the lake was already crowded with people, all of them gazing at the Divine King Fruit tree with covetous eyes.
The Divine King Fruit tree bore a number of black-and-white fruits, half-black and half-white, appearing rather strange.
Because the light radiating from the Divine King Fruit tree was simply too dazzling, the entire valley, including a large surrounding area, was bathed in a splendid glow. Rays of auspicious light shone in countless directions, accompanied by thousands of colorful streams—a breathtaking sight.
"What are they doing? Why aren't they moving to snatch it yet?" Xiao Xiao found it a bit odd.
Soon, Cui Hong, Ye Yunfei, and Xiao Xiao also charged into this valley nestled within the dense forest, landing around the lakeshore.
The area around the lake was already packed with people, and more were constantly arriving, so no one paid any special attention to the trio.
Ye Yunfei caught sight at a glance of the Deities from the Guardian Faction who had been chasing them earlier, including members from the Heavenly God Hall, the Dark Faction, and the Source Fire Sect.
Next, Ye Yunfei spotted the four Deities from the demon race.
"Look, those three over there are Deities from the demon race. I've seen them before; they're all Demon Race Elders. I never expected they've also broken through to godhood. And over there, those seven fellows seem to be from Great Yin Realm. I truly never expected the Great Yin Realm to have seven Deities—they've hidden themselves far too deeply." The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly exclaimed.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei also noticed that among the crowd were seven Deities emanating a chilling aura. Two or three of them were familiar faces—elders of the Great Yin Realm he had met before, now having ascended to godhood.
"It seems that among the great powers of our Void Sea, many have given birth to more and more Deities." Ye Yunfei couldn't help but muse inwardly.
"Master, what are these guys still waiting for? The Divine King Fruit is right there before our eyes. Why aren't they grabbing it?" Seeing everyone gathered around the lake, Hu Miao couldn't help but send a Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
No sooner had Hu Miao finished speaking than someone spoke up loudly. "Everyone, the Divine King Fruit hasn't yet begun to release its fragrance, which indicates it's not completely ripe. However, judging by the look of it, it shouldn't be long before these Divine King Fruits mature."
"So that's why." Ye Yunfei understood inwardly.
The Divine King Fruit tree bore roughly twenty black-and-white fruits. None of them emitted any fragrance, presumably because they weren't fully ripe yet.
Everyone around the lake was waiting for the Divine King Fruits to ripen.
During this period of waiting, more people, having received the news, continued to arrive. By now, the valley was almost overflowing with people, the vast majority of whom were Deities.
Everyone's gaze was firmly fixed on the Divine King Fruits, mentally planning how they would seize them once the time came.
"It seems many Deities from other Voids outside have already entered the True Phoenix Tomb. So many Deities suddenly pouring into our Void Sea… it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse." Cui Hong, looking at the multitude of Deities, wore a somewhat grave expression as he sent a rueful Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei and Xiao Xiao.
Ye Yunfei and Xiao Xiao were also somewhat worried, for all three knew that their own Void Sea was relatively weak in overall strength. Those Deities entering from other Voids outside were generally much stronger, including not just Intermediate Void Gods but even Advanced Void Gods.
After concluding their treasure-seeking expedition in the True Phoenix Tomb, these powerful Deities would very likely continue their activities within their Void Sea. Facing these formidable outsiders could lead to terrible consequences at any moment.
"There are already at least five or six Advanced Void Gods in this valley. When the Divine King Fruits ripen, chaos will definitely erupt. I think the ones most likely to seize the Divine King Fruits should be those Advanced Void Gods. And besides them, there are even more Intermediate Void Gods in number. So, our chances of getting a Divine King Fruit are actually not high." Xiao Xiao suddenly sent a Sound Transmission to Cui Hong and Ye Yunfei.
"Indeed. Given the strength of just us three, the possibility of getting our hands on a Divine King Fruit is a bit small." Cui Hong, having realized this as well, nodded helplessly.
"Forget it. We came here anyway just to give it a try. If our strength isn't enough, then not getting the Divine King Fruit is only to be expected. Treasure-hunting adventures are like this; only those with sufficient strength and good fortune can acquire the treasures. This sort of thing cannot be forced." Cui Hong added.
"Senior, you are right. We should just maintain the right attitude." Hearing Cui Hong's words, Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
Looking at the numerous Deities filling the valley, Ye Yunfei also felt that for the three of them to contend for a Divine King Fruit would indeed be rather difficult.
Putting aside others, just those Advanced Void Gods alone were practically unbeatable.
"Master, I don't know why, but ever since entering this primal dense forest, I've vaguely felt as if some sort of summons was calling me, seemingly from the depths of my bloodline." Just at this moment, Hu Miao suddenly sent a Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
"A summons from your bloodline? Hu Miao, are you sure?" Ye Yunfei was somewhat surprised.
Ye Yunfei certainly understood that if Hu Miao truly felt a summons from her bloodline, it was extremely likely that one of her kinfolk was nearby.
Hu Miao belonged to the ancient lineage of the Heavenly Fox race, a very rare species probably found only in some small worlds or secret realms.
Over so many years, apart from Hu Miao herself, Ye Yunfei had never encountered a second Heavenly Fox—of course, the same was true for the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm race. In short, encountering any remnant of an ancient beast species was always extremely difficult.
What was an ancient remnant beast? In general, they were powerful beast races from ancient times that, after enduring long eras, had gradually declined or even vanished. Occasionally, one or two might still remain in the world, thus earning the title 'Ancient Remnant Beasts.'
According to ancient records left by antiquity, the Heavenly Foxes were once a powerful race during a certain period in ancient times, but for some reason, the clan later declined. By now, the number of Heavenly Foxes remaining in the world should be exceedingly rare.
Over the years, Hu Miao had been quietly keeping an eye out for her race's kindred, even having Ye Yunfei secretly dispatch people to search for traces of her clan members—all without any results. Now, arriving here, suddenly feeling this summons from her bloodline naturally filled Hu Miao with excitement and anticipation.
"Hu Miao, don't be impatient. Feel it carefully, see if you can confirm that it truly is a summons from your bloodline, and discern the exact direction and location of this summons. If you confirm it, then we absolutely must go take a look." Ye Yunfei said to Hu Miao.
Ye Yunfei certainly understood her feelings.
Hu Miao didn't respond; she remained concentrated, carefully sensing.
"Master, I think I truly am feeling a summons from my bloodline… over there in that direction." After a short while, Hu Miao pointed in a certain direction and spoke to Ye Yunfei.
The direction Hu Miao indicated was actually in another location, deep within this primal dense forest.
"I wonder how long it will take for the Divine King Fruits to ripen," Ye Yunfei thought to himself, looking at the black-and-white fruits on the tree.
"Master, the bloodline summons I'm feeling seems to be growing stronger." Hu Miao said to Ye Yunfei again.
"Alright then. Hu Miao, let's go take a look first, just the two of us." Ye Yunfei made a decision.
"Master, we should wait for the Divine King Fruits to ripen, see if we have a chance to fight for one, and then go, shouldn't we? I've already sensed the specific direction and location. Going a bit later shouldn't be a problem." Hu Miao said.
"With so many experts gathered here, even if the Divine King Fruits ripen, we might not be able to seize any." Ye Yunfei looked around the valley filled with Deities radiating dazzling divine light; he wasn't feeling much confidence.
"Just how much longer must we wait here for these Divine King Fruits to mature? I've already been waiting two days! It can't be that we have to keep waiting endlessly." Just as Ye Yunfei was hesitating, an Intermediate Void God in the distance spoke impatiently.
"Based on my divination, I believe it will probably take another full day and night before the Divine King Fruits can truly ripen. Legend has it that the Divine King Fruits only possess their maximum effect upon ripening. If one picks fruits not fully matured, even ingesting and refining them will yield greatly diminished results." At this moment, an old man dressed like a Daoist priest spoke up.
"So it's Master Yu Tian. I've heard Master Yu Tian excels in the art of divination. What he says certainly won't be wrong." Many Deities in the vicinity immediately recognized the elder.
"Master Yu Tian? Never heard of that title before. He must be from another Void outside ours." Ye Yunfei glanced at Master Yu Tian and thought to himself.
Master Yu Tian's body faintly radiated profound, cryptic runes. Having cultivated many divination arts himself, Ye Yunfei recognized at a glance that those esoteric runes were related to divination techniques.
Clearly, this Master Yu Tian was indeed a highly skilled divination master.
"A full day and night before the Divine King Fruits fully ripen. These people probably won't make a move before they are fully mature." Ye Yunfei contemplated inwardly.
"Hu Miao, let's do this. Let's head to the location where you feel the bloodline summons first. A day and a night should be sufficient." Ye Yunfei said to Hu Miao.
"Very well." Hu Miao nodded in agreement.
Then, Ye Yunfei sent a Sound Transmission to Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao, informing them about Hu Miao sensing a bloodline summons.
"Young Master Ye, we'll go with you as well," Cui Hong said.
"No need, Senior. The two of you stay here. If the Divine King Fruits ripen early, you can notify me promptly and also look for an opportunity to see if you can snatch one or two.
I'll take Hu Miao there to investigate. A bloodline summons suggests her kinfolk might be there, so there shouldn't be any danger for us." Ye Yunfei replied.
"That works as well. Young Master Ye, be careful." Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Cui Hong did not insist, merely issuing a warning.
He knew Ye Yunfei's actual combat prowess was extremely strong, especially his astonishingly resilient physique—his ability to withstand blows wasn't inferior to his own. Moreover, Ye Yunfei possessed a very sophisticated Concealment Talisman that could mask his aura, so he probably wouldn't face excessive danger.
Ye Yunfei immediately performed his movement technique and stealthily left the valley, heading in the direction Hu Miao sensed the summons.
The valley was filled with Deities everywhere; their attention was focused solely on the Divine King Fruit tree. No one noticed Ye Yunfei at all.
After leaving the valley, Ye Yunfei immediately increased his speed, rushing towards another area of the primal dense forest.
Because Ye Yunfei concealed his aura using the Concealment Talisman, although he encountered many avian beasts and fierce animals along the way, none of them noticed him.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei arrived at another location within this primal dense forest.
"It's right here." Hu Miao pointed downwards, speaking to Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei flashed through the air, landing on a clearing among the trees. It was an open, empty space; surrounding tall trees shaded the area, making it extremely dim and damp.
"This place does have quite a few shadow-type medicinal herbs." Ye Yunfei immediately spotted many herbs of shadow-type growth around him. He waved his sleeve, harvesting them all and putting them away.
At this moment, Hu Miao also appeared beside Ye Yunfei.
"Master, I feel the bloodline summons even more strongly now." Hu Miao said to Ye Yunfei.
"It's here? But there doesn't seem to be anything here." Ye Yunfei skeptically examined his surroundings, releasing his Soul Power energy, but discovered nothing.
"Master, there are many illusions here, and it seems to conceal a small space formed by illusions. I must now find the entrance to this small space and go inside to look."
"What? There's a small space formed by illusions here?" Hearing Hu Miao's words, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but be surprised.
Because ever since arriving here, Ye Yunfei hadn't sensed anything at all; neither had Hun Lao nor the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm. Both of them had long since conducted detailed inspections of the surrounding space but found nothing.
"Yes, Master. As soon as I arrived here, I sensed an aura of illusion art—the aura of our clan's illusion art.
The strong ones of our clan can use illusions to construct a small space. It is extremely difficult to discover a small space constructed by illusions.
I suspect my kinfolk are inside this small space formed by illusions." Hu Miao nodded.
Then, Hu Miao stood in this damp, dim clearing among the trees, releasing her Soul Power energy and illusion art energy to conduct a detailed perception of the surrounding space.
Hearing Hu Miao's words, Ye Yunfei, Hun Lao, and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm also continued conducting a detailed perception of the surrounding space.
"I refuse to believe there is anything I can't perceive!" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, filled with defiant pride, emerged from the Phantom Shadow Tower. He released his race's unique spatial runes, instantly filling this forest clearing with shimmering golden runes.
Ye Yunfei, having been continuously refining the Deity-grade Soul Force Energy Crystals obtained from the white-haired elder of Skillful Hand Pavilion, saw his Soul Power energy level constantly rising. However, even after careful perception for a moment, he still found no results.
This clearing seemed to be just a very ordinary space, without any trace of the illusionary energy Hu Miao mentioned, much less any small space.
"There is indeed something amiss about the space here." Hun Lao suddenly spoke.
"What's amiss? Hun Lao, did you find something?" Ye Yunfei quickly inquired.
"There really is something off. The space here seems to have an extra something, but I haven't discerned specifically what." Hun Lao replied.
"Why can't I feel anything?" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm was still dissatisfied.
Hu Miao didn't speak, standing stock-still, releasing her illusion energy while continuing to carefully perceive.
Roughly half an hour later.
"Master, I've already found the entrance to that illusion space. I'm going inside to investigate." Hu Miao suddenly spoke to Ye Yunfei.
"Alright. I'll go in with you." Ye Yunfei, of course, wouldn't let Hu Miao go in alone, immediately stepping beside her. The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm also rushed over.
Hu Miao's gaze fixed on a certain spot in this forest clearing, releasing her illusion energy to form one illusion after another, densely surrounding them.
At the same time, nine faintly discernible, thick fox tails swayed ceaselessly behind Hu Miao's form.
Soon, Hu Miao walked to a certain spot and stopped. Ahead were two large trees, one on the left and one on the right.
"Master, this is the entrance to that small illusion space. Follow behind me; I'll lead you inside." Hu Miao pointed at the space between the two large trees ahead and spoke to Ye Yunfei. Then she took a step forward, walking between the two trees.
RUMBLE…
The space at this location immediately began to twist and distort, countless different illusions emerging one after another, seemingly endless. Simultaneously, a small spatial portal appeared.
"So there really is a spatial entrance here." Seeing the portal that had emerged, Ye Yunfei felt a bit astonished.
Because earlier, his Soul Power energy had repeatedly perceived this location, yet discovered nothing.
"So there really is a small space here! Illusions can also form a small space? This is the first time I've encountered such a thing!" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but cry out.